Once Upon a Time
Karn Lakrung Neung
THAILAND / 2000 / Thai / Color / Video / 13 min
Director, Script, Sound: Panu Aree
Photography: Supote Aree
Editing: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Producers: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Panu Aree
Production Company, Source: Kick the Machine
44/17 Ladprao 15, Jatujak, Bangkok 10900 THAILAND
Phone: 662-938-4460 Fax: 662-938-5646
E-mail: kickthemachine@yahoo.com
Once upon a time, or rather in the 1970s, there was a famous amusement park in Bangkok All locals remember having been there as children. Using nostalgic 8mm home-movie footage and recorded voices from various people today talking about the park, the “collective memory” of many is recompiled.
[Director’s Statement] I started the project when I heard that one of the first modern amusement parks in Bangkok would be closed down. I reassembled 8mm footage of my family, from two decades ago. It was an era when western lifestyles flooded into Thailand. I went out to collect interviews from various people aged between 25 and 52 who have the memories I lack. Thus the film is a fulfillment of both me and my subjects in bringing the park, Dan Neramit, to life with sound and image.
I think of this film as a time box which contains memories important to my generation. I hope that in 20 years, the feelings of the people I interviewed will still be the same.
Panu Aree
Studied film and photography at Thammasat University. Worked on several feature films by major Thai studios. In 1996, began volunteering at the Thai Film Foundation. Since then, has performed extensive research on the history of Thai cinema, the results of which are included in the reference index at the Thai National Film Archive. A regular contributor in film and art publications. Currently works as database staff for Sahamongkol Film, the leading film distribution company in Thailand. |